


Eighth Circle

by dreamyrat



Category: One Piece
Genre: Character Study, First Time, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Marijuana, Oral Sex, i think, its mostly implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:41:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25723009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamyrat/pseuds/dreamyrat
Summary: The easy smile he wears and the kind yet chiding way he speaks about his brother makes him, as well as the rest of the crew, trust him. Something about him also, perhaps a little less understandably, makes Sanji feel practically frayed around the edges.
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 12
Kudos: 63





	Eighth Circle

**Author's Note:**

> I only just finished Skypiea when writing this, so bear with me! I tried to do their personalities justice. And yes, I know about Marineford. 
> 
> This took me longer than I would have liked, but I think I’m satisfied. (Also kind of sick of starting at it) 
> 
> Hope you like it.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a light would you?” 

Ace smiles as he approaches him, sand crunching beneath his feet. Sanji’s eyes are heavy, the soft snores of the others behind him starting to tempt him to sleep. Something about Ace puts Sanji at ease. The easy smile he wears and the kind yet chiding way he speaks about his brother makes him, as well as the rest of the crew, trust him. Something about him also, perhaps a little less understandably, makes Sanji feel practically frayed around the edges. 

“Sure thing,” he stands from where he was stacking their bento boxes from dinner. 

Ace turns, his long coat not quite able to keep up with him, and waves as if to say, “Come smoke with me,” 

Seeing as he was still their guest- of sorts, Sanji couldn’t really think of a reason good enough to deny him.

Ace hoists himself up on the outcropping of rock that towers over camp, Sanji watching the muscle in his biceps swell as he does, without a lick of sweat or sign of struggle. He carries his strength like a tsunami starts in the middle of the ocean, living among a thousand other waves, none of them looking more powerful than the other, until the steady curve of land below makes its watery body curl, towering over civilization and devastating whatever it found in its path. Except even then the way Ace wears his shorts slung low on his hips, tattoo on full display despite the oppressive sun, wasn’t what Sanji would consider one in a thousand. Ace offers him his hand, but he waves it off, bounding up by himself. 

“I know you don’t actually need a light,” Sanji takes out a cigarette and puts it in his mouth, forcing a smile. He was dead tired, trekking through the desert all day, and the last thing he needed was to sit here and entertain another half naked Devil Fruit user. 

“Caught me,” Ace says, holding his hands up in the air. His heart stutters terribly, anxiety lacing itself through his shoulders. Maybe it was just from being alone with a calm, mature (not to mention a little intimidating) presence so unlike the loud unassuming antics of his crewmates. He sees the end of his cigarette light up, and instinctively he inhales, not meeting Ace’s eyes.

“I hope you’ll forgive me. I needed an excuse,” 

His heart stutters again, but Sanji has enough tact not to ask why he “needed” to be alone with him. He fears the answer would be similar to what an older brother sizing up his little sister’s new boyfriend would say, with veiled threats and jabs at his insecurities. Or at least this is what he guesses it would feel like. Of course, that would imply he was with Luffy, and he doesn’t know whether to crack up or gag at the thought. Although the thought of Zoro’s flushed and scowling face as he tries not to get into a tizzy about the implication does make him smile.  
Sanji watches Ace pull out a silver tin, retrieving what looked like a hand wrapped cigarette. His eyebrows raise. Ace says nothing, placing it in his mouth and lighting up. Once the smell hits him, Sanji knows for sure it isn’t tobacco. 

As if reading his mind, Ace smiles, leaning back and exhaling towards the sky. Sanji watches his Adam's apple as he does. The curve of his neck stark against the dark, the blaze in his mouth flickering in his eyes. 

He opens his mouth to speak, but Ace beats him to it.

“Sorry, was never much of a cigarette guy. Probably should have told you,” 

“Makes no difference to me,” Sanji swallows. It really doesn’t.

“Helps me slow down for a second. Since I’m always on the move. Lets me take in the world for what it is,”

“Why? You got something to be scared of?” 

Ace laughs quietly. 

“If anything, I end up running towards the things that scare me,” 

Sanji smiles wryly. “Seems like that runs in the family,”

Ace laughs hard at that. He doesn’t argue with him. Instead he says, “I’m glad Luffy’s found friends like you all. I’m in your debt you know.” 

Ace catches his eye then, and Sanji swallows, putting out his cigarette. For some reason, he feels like he just plunged himself into the ocean and left his brain on the way back up for air, watching it get gelatinous and swollen with sea salt as he rises. Maybe he was starting to understand Ace’s tastes.

“Can I…” 

Ace quirks an eyebrow, following Sanji’s gaze.

“You sure?”

Sanji nods.

He passes the blunt. His lips wrap around it, where Ace’s lips just were, and inhales. That familiar burn hits his throat and slowly he exhales into the night sky. If he didn’t know any better he’d say that Ace looked impressed. 

“So tell me,” 

Sanji passes the blunt back to him.

“What made you join his crew?” Here we go. Great, yeah, let’s skip the pleasantries and get to the real reason why he really wanted to be alone with him. 

“You want the short answer or the long answer?”

“I don’t have anywhere to be,” he’s leaned over now, elbow on his knee and face in his palm. 

“Well… My dream is to find the All Blue. You heard of it?”

“I have. It's the only place in the world where you can hunt fish from all parts of the ocean right?” 

“Yeah, I mean what cook wouldn’t dream of having access to that? Of being able to cook whatever you wanted at any given time. I mean that sounds insane right?,” He can’t help but let his excitement rise as he speaks, feeling his grin naturally grow wider. Ace smiles as he speaks, eyes closed.

“You know what I wouldn’t do to get my hands on a Blue Elephant Tuna again? Or whenever I wanted?” He pauses, having half a mind to relight his cigarette, itching for something to do with his hands. “But I’m guessing that’s not what you’re asking me,” 

Ace chuckles, deep and relaxed. As if reading his mind, he takes a hit then passes it back to Sanji. 

“Nothing gets past you, huh? Maybe I just like listening,” He tilts his head as he speaks. Sparks run up Sanji’s back. Part of him thinks he might actually be trying to set him on fire. He resists the urge to turn around and check. Sanji sighs.

“He just showed up. Almost took a chunk out of the side of the Baratie. Well- he did actually take a chunk out of it. He made a shitty busboy trying to make up for it. It was a lot less work to just go along with him, really.”

Ace smiles and for some reason Sanji gets the feeling that he still doesn’t accept that answer. His blood pressure rises. Why isn’t he just asking him the question he wants to? More importantly, why is he even indulging this guy? Before he can consider getting up and leaving, his heart pounds, reverberating through his body. He blinks, dumbly. The image of a mouse trying to run from the mouth of a cat, only to find his own tail wrapped around his neck enters his mind. 

Ace leans forward, inspecting his face. “It just hit you didn’t it? You’re okay,” he puts a hand on his shoulder. Or no, it had been there. When had he put his hand there? Sanji touches it, just to see what it would feel like, unable to hold back the curiosity. It was warm, a little dry. Sanji feels himself smile. 

“I get it,” His chest felt a lighter now, a pleasant fog in his mind making words bubble up before he could stop them. 

“You do?” He can feel Ace’s breath on his skin. 

Sanji smiles despite the flames licking up his back. They felt smaller now. Further away. “You wanna pick me apart. You want to see if I’m worthy of being on this crew,” 

For the first time since meeting him, he sees Ace’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. Sanji’s heartbeat is erratic. He can feel blood pulsing through every part of his body.

“Worthy? Thats… I’m sorry, I just wanted to talk,” 

“Why?” Sanji asks, exasperation finally tearing up his throat. Ace pauses, as if considering his next words very carefully, eyebrow still furrowed. He takes another hit from his blunt. Sanji watches as the smoke leaves his mouth, curling around him. He doesn’t smile as he begins to speak. 

“Forgive me but I’ve sort of had my eye on you. You’re skilled, powerful… kind… not to mention nice on the eyes. But you’re not taking what you want. You act like you could, but you don’t. You’re a bit strange but, ” Ace smiles, wide and uninhibited. 

“But?” 

“I think I’ve decided I like you,” he says, full of mirth and fondness. All Sanji can do is stare at him. Undeterred by his silence, Ace continues. 

“You have your nakama. You love them right? They love you. You know that, but you can’t let yourself feel it,” 

He has half a mind to get up right then, tumble off this rock and pass out on the cold sand below, fed up with the nerve of this guy and eyes that never seem to stop smiling. Instead he felt rooted in place, stuck on every word. 

“They’re your family. You fight, you cry, and you laugh together. You sleep, eat, bathe, and bleed together…” Ace looks down for a moment before meeting his eyes. 

“But it’s not enough is it?” 

The hand on his shoulder moves to tuck his hair behind his ear. It feels like he’s moving in slow motion.

“Do you have something to be scared of, Sanji-kun?” 

His hand is on his cheek, thumb moving across it in a sweet caress. It feels... Sanji can’t remember the last time he’s been treated so gently. Spoken to so softly. 

He can’t stop himself from ogling now, or the thoughts of strong arms around him, of lips gracing the curve of his throat, and of finger tips moving across his muscles from drifting in and out of his mind. His thoughts had a tendency to get away from him sometimes. He’s a hopeless romantic, sure, but there was a difference between fantasy and indulgence. No doubt he thinks about it, plays with the idea in his mind whenever the crowsnest feels particularly cold on his turn to keep watch, just how certain crew members could keep him warm. He knows what was worth pursuing and what wasn’t. He knows what he wants isn't what he needs. 

But he can’t help but wonder if Ace’s smile would burn as it’s pressed against his lips. 

He leans in, slipping his lips against Ace’s, desperate to make sense of this feeling, of the ache Ace had slowly begun to claw out of him. Ace dives into it like Sanji imagines he would face a wave threatening to beat him senseless into the sand. The icey waters don’t seem to scare him one bit, and he’s smart enough not to fight a force of nature. Sanji thinks he likes that about him, trying not to shake with how sweetly Ace parts his lips, unafraid of what he wants. His thumbs brush his cheeks. Sanji finally touches his bare chest, and feels his heartbeat pulse under his sand coated palms. 

He does burn, his lips feel scorched as Sanji kisses down his jaw, swallowing down the feeling of his muscle tensing under a quick tongue. He hears Ace sigh in pleasure, hand curling into his hair sweetly, and Sanji flushes, red hot and delirious. Ace wraps his arms around him, holding him there as he bites down his neck, sending pleasant tingles up his spine. 

Well- it felt more like his head was caught between two symbols crashing together, but that's a lot less romantic. Ace pulls him backwards gently, into his lap and Sanji’s body, which seems to be moving frustratingly slow compared to his mind, follows. Hands are in his hair, his neck, his face, never rough, just carefully picking him apart. Sanji feels himself dripping with sweat, more heat rising to his face. Ace leans back on his elbows, chest heaving. This time the smile he wears makes Sanji’s tongue feel too big for his mouth. 

Ace curls a hand around his hip delicately. Sanji leans down to kiss him again, ready to get burned again. His hips press into Ace’s and pleasure zips up his spine. Oh. He’s hard. Now that he’s realized it, it’s overwhelming. 

“Wait,” Sanji breaks away, voice soft. 

“Honestly I’ve never,” he gushes, suddenly feeling out of his depth. Ace waits for him to continue. When he doesn,’t he speaks. 

“Been with a man?” he whispers. 

“Been with anyone,” for some reason, he isn’t embarrassed. It comes out easily, and Ace doesn’t even blink.

“Do you want me Sanji?” The way the words drip of his tongue makes Sanji feel crazy. How does he make it feel so fucking simple? 

“Yes,” 

“How? Please tell me,” His hand trails down his chest. It’s very distracting.

“I want you to,” He gestures vaguely, his brain too slow to find the words. A thousand images appear in his mind, all extremely appealing. “Have your way with me?” 

Ace laughs. It had sounded sexier in his head. 

“God you’re perfect. You wanna fuck my mouth?” 

“Fuck,” he curses. So now he decides to be blunt. He can’t deny how it goes straight to his cock either. “Yes,”

“Don’t worry. If you want me to stop I will. Just tell me,” 

He kisses his neck, voice deep and soft, breath trailing over bruised skin. 

“I’ll take care of you. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Sanji breathes, laughing at the sound of his own voice. Ace smiles with him, moving fabric away.

He feels his hand start at his chest then move downwards, stopping at the front of his pants. He squeezes. Sanji bites his lip. Ace pulls down his zipper, slipping his hand inside. Sanji can’t really describe the sound that leaves his mouth.

“Careful, dear. Wouldn’t want to wake the kids,” 

Sanji nods, unable to form words. Ace takes his hat off of his head to rest on his back. He kisses Sanji again before taking him out of his pants, the cool desert air hitting him. Like that, Ace is already descending, like he can’t bear the thought of waiting another minute. He kisses the tip gently, wrapping his fingers around the base. It knocks the air out of Sanji when he takes him in his mouth. He runs his hands through Ace’s greasy hair, it’s indecent, the sounds he’s making. Sanji flushes head to toe. He has no idea how loud he’s being right now, his mind unable to pay attention. His toes curl in his shoes, feeling overwhelmed by the slick heat surrounding him. 

He cums, spilling into Ace’s mouth. He swallows without much of a second thought. There’s still some on the corner of his mouth. 

“I,” Sanji starts, tongue too big for his mouth. 

“Hm?” Ace looks up, smiling pleasantly. He sits up, brushing the hair out of Sanji’s eyes. 

“Sorry that was,” he laughs, “That was fast wasn’t it,” 

“It’s one of the more genuine compliments someone in my position could receive, you know,” he wipes the corner of his mouth. “Thank you for the meal.”

Sanji’s face twists in mock disgust and laughs, his head full of too much oxytocin to know what to do with. 

“Gross,” he snorts, as Ace joins him in his delirious mixture of glee and horror. Ace sits next to him, leaning his head on his shoulder as their laughter subsides. 

“Let me,” Sanji’s hand graces the warm thigh next to his. 

“Ah, that’s okay. I’m used to giving more than receiving,” he takes his hand off his thigh and brings it to his lips, kissing his knuckles. It’s tender enough to make Sanji feel like he was just stabbed in the chest. 

“I want to though. I want you,” he speaks softly. Surely he’s said this before, wax poetic practically flying out of his mouth at the drop of a hat, but this small confession feels like carving the marrow from his bones. 

Ace pouts. It looks so strange Sanji almost starts laughing again. 

“Oh that’s just unfair. How can I say no to a face like that!” he groans, face in his hands, like he fears the consequences if he looks. 

“What face? Am I making a face?” Sanji smirks. 

“Your ignorance to my plight doesn’t make it any less real, Sanji-kun,” he sighs, letting his face rest on his shoulder again. 

“If you don’t want me to thats,” Sanji starts, but before he can finish Ace grabs his hand gently, placing it back on his thigh. 

“I’m all yours,” he says finally, warm breath in his ear. Sanji swallows, and finally takes what he wants. 

He awakes to shouting, and sand in his eyes. He hardly has a chance to think, letting his body take over as they haul ass and try to get out of harm’s way. He’s reminded of how fucking tired he is. The desert doesn’t suit him, the sand all together too solid and untrustworthy for his sea loving legs. And it fucking- got everywhere. He felt coated in the stuff. 

A miles long trek through the scorching desert with nothing to look at but his crew's backside and cursed sand doesn’t give him much to think about besides his interesting... night with his Captain’s brother. Ace had been right. As good as he is at hiding, it doesn’t suit the Strawhats. It doesn’t suit Sanji. 

He can tell Ace is itching to move on. It’s in the way he watches everyone as they move about with their duties, as if sitting idle feels like a crime. As he packs up lunch again, he gets this sinking feeling that whatever he has to say to him, he has to say it now. 

“You were right,” 

“Hm?” 

“I was being a coward,” 

Ace looked at him, and for the first time his eyes didn’t feel probing. 

“You’re not a coward. You were willing to die for your dream just like my brother. Though, if nothing else, I know Luffy understands the value of honesty.” He opts to look at the horizon instead of Sanji. 

“Maybe you should have taught him a lie here and there doesn’t hurt,” 

Ace laughs hard at that, eyes warm. “Oh I really do like you. Ever consider joining Whitebeard’s crew?”

“Not on your life.” He grins wide, genuine and raw. Despite the swell of doom he feels overhead, he laughs, because it’s all just so stupidly sad.

“Yeah that’s what I thought,” Something changes on his face then, like he’s conflicted about what he wants to say. As soon as Sanji notices, it's gone. Ace leans over to kiss his cheek. “Can’t blame me for trying right?” 

Sanji doesn’t know whether he wants to laugh or cry again, his skin burning with his touch.

“I won’t forget this,” he says. Ace doesn’t ask what “this” is. 

“I know you won’t,” Ace smiles then, and if Sanji didn’t know any better, he’d say he looked lonely. The child in him wishes he could make him stay. 

Ace leaves them a few hours later, without much fanfare, a simple promise, and a bow, his back slowly melting into the blood orange sky. Sanji can’t tear his eyes away until he’s truly gone, a lone speck of rock amongst a sea of cooling magma. If his crew notices, they don’t comment on it. He pulls out a cigarette, chasing the burn. He’ll tell them one day.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought about Sanji shouting “Thanks for the weed!” at him at the end, but decided it ruined the mood a little too much.


End file.
